DUBAI (Reuters) – Israel issued evacuation warnings on Wednesday for three seaports in Yemen after saying the Iran-aligned Houthis had fired a missile towards it.
It reported the missile launch while U.S. President Donald Trump was on a visit to three Gulf states – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The Israeli army said the Ras Issa, Hodeidah and Salif ports were being used by the Iran-aligned Houthi group. Israel had said earlier that it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards its territory.
Trump, who started an intensified military campaign against Houthi strongholds in Yemen on March 15, agreed to an Oman-mediated ceasefire deal with the group, which said the accord did not include Israel.
The Houthis have been launching missiles and drones at Israel, as well as attacking vessels in global shipping lanes, in a campaign that they say is aimed at showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza as Israel presses on with its military campaign there.
Trump said on Tuesday the Houthis had agreed to stop interrupting important shipping lanes in the Middle East.
Israel has carried out numerous retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
(Reporting by Jana Choukeir; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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